Combinations in Pairs: Two Savage 24s

savage_patch.jpg (112487 bytes)

An AK Church and John Dunn joint effort

NOTE: Authors Church and Dunn regret that t hey are unqualified to do appraisal, and cannot establish a value on your gun. 

Click any thumbnail-photo for a larger image.

(Free permission to quote Church's articles is granted, as long as proper attribution is given. We request that if you use our work, you give us credit.)

24adv.jpg (59682 bytes)Introduced immediately prior to the Second World War as the Stevens .22-.410, the utilitarian combo gun has gone through innumerable variations. Earlier guns had fully interconnected barrels, top lever opening, a barrel selector mounted to the receiver side, and was made only in .22 LR and .410 3 inch.

The problem prone side mount barrel selector has gone away for a much better hammer mounted switch, 20 gauge was added by the mid 1960s, .22 WRFM by the late ’50s, and eventually centerfire varieties arrived. Barrel releases have moved from the top tang to the receiver sidewall in a 1960s economy series, and then to the front of the trigger guard.

Still in production in a much evolved form, these newer guns chamber full power rifle rounds and have added 12 gauge to the shotgun column (.410 is gone). They carry the lawsuit resistant manual safety, synthetic stocks, and significant price increases, but is still recognizably descended from the 1939 gun. Visit Savage Arms' web site for details of the modern incarnation.

General Information

All Savage 24s are break action over-under guns with a manually cocked external hammer, rifle barrel above the shotgun barrel. Savage never developed the taste Colt or Smith & Wesson developed for use of lightweight alloys so these guns tend to be fairly heavy. Extractors rather than ejectors are the usual order.

The Lone Gunman Model 24-N

The Churchman wearing Dunn's Nixon-era Savage

AK Church wearing John's Savage

Author Dunn acquired a prime specimen of pawnshop Savage. In NRA Very Good condition, his chambers .22LR and 20 gauge 3”. Of apparent 1970s manufacture, his carries a case finished receiver, blued barrels, trigger and guard, and is stocked in pale wood looking for all the world like Finland birch. It also came with an additional die-cast folding buttstock of mysterious origin, unpleasant to shoot with 3 inch magnum. 

Stock folded

Two views of the folding stock

We removed the stock to get some close-up shots of the mechanism itself. 

Here, you can see the top of it showing the allen-wrench style attaching face. Photos courtesy of Heidi of Michigan

The trigger guard is of a form author Church found illustrated in his “SHOOTER’S BIBLE” for approximately 1972-75. Based on this, we are guessing production to date from the early 1970s.

Left side, showing tang release and faded case-hardening

The Dunn gun early on appeared to exhibit functioning problems with the shotgun barrel, giving a misfire rate with Remington 3/4 oz field loads approximating 50%. The same ammo was tried in AK Church’s 24 and gave the same results. It has functioned reliably with everything else ever fed it. The .22LR barrel never tried to malfunction, even with a promiscuous diet of ammo ranging from Aguila bumblebee ammo to Lapua match. We have failed to have film for any rifle targeting sessions, but accuracy with Remington Target .22LR averages 2"-2.5" at 100 yards, off crude iron sights.

exposed chambers       Action broken open       a closer view

Action opened to expose chambers and extractors

Some minor issues of age have exhibited themselves on the gun: the mousetrap spring tensioning the forend has grown anemic, and the pin retaining the trigger has loosened enough to allow a good bit of side to side trigger play. The forend spring is a straight parts replacement issue, and the pins have received light and careful restaking.

The Dunn gun seems to weigh slightly less than the rated 6.5 pounds, and to handle faster and more precisely because of that. It takes down to a nice manageable package, as shown below.

Pardon the poor photo quality...pic didn't turn out so well

Savage 24-F.G. (taken from the 1974 “SHOOTER’S BIBLE”): Barrels 24 inch, .22LR/20 gauge 3”, length overall 40”.

Accuracy results appended below:

five-shot group of Federal .22 Long Rifle at 50 yards

The .22 long rifle barrel at fifty yards. Pardon the flyer.

 

 

 

Fairly even bird shot pattern for our unscientific purposes

Bird shot seemed to pattern satisfactorily. This result was obtained using Winchester AA bird shot, 2 3/4" shells 7/8 oz.

 

 

 

Poor buckshot spread at that range

Remington Express 2 3/4" buckshot performed much less satisfactorily at 25 yards. This may or may not be a malfunction of the ammunition; more likely it is due to the way the barrel is choked. Only nine pellets hit the paper (a tenth one caught the extreme right edge) with none of them "in the black"; only four made it into the outermost ring at all. They seemed to want to migrate to the right...was this the ammo's fault, the gun's fault, or the shooter's fault?

 

THE A K Church 24-S

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The "Church Gun".

Note the nifty custom-made Bill Beumer leather shell holder. Dunn's gun now sports one of these as well; the photos of his specimen were taken when he was still using the temporary nylon variety found at any X-Mart until the superb leather one was complete. Here is a photo of it on John's gun:

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Please note that the lighter coloration of the loops themselves vs. the overall sleeve is an optical gaff resulting from the lighting conditions when the photo was taken. The shell carrier is all one rich brown leather color.

The test gun described herein was found unfired in the box, but with minor handling dings, shelf wear and the instruction manual gone. It is chambered in .22WRM over 20 gauge 3 inch. The Church piece carries a late production polymer trigger guard with barrel release incorporated, non walnut mystery wood with a distinctly purple tinge, and weighs nearly a pound more than the lightning fast Dunn gun. We postulate production as 1980s.

The Church gun showed immediate distaste for the same Remington/Walmart field loads Dunn‘s specimen disdained, and indiscriminate acceptance of everything else stuffed in its chambers.

22mag100yds.jpg (23371 bytes)The best iron sight group it has yielded yet is an amazing 1 3/4” for 5 shots at 100 yards, target reproduced below. Ammunition is Winchester 40 grain hollow point, about the most common .22 Mag ammo there is. Church is unable to explain how he shot so well, in view of his declining eyesight and general marksmanship failings, but another group of 2 1/4” followed.

 

 

24.20g.bird.25yds.jpg (13870 bytes)Patterning with Federal #8 7/8 ounce field loads has proven to be equally acceptable.

 

 

 

24.20g.3buck.25yds.jpg (13405 bytes)Like Dunn’s Nixon-era Savage, the newer gun seems to put minimal effort into its buckshot performance, putting 9 of 20 pellets ON PAPER at 25 yards, and not putting those 9 around the target all that evenly.

 

 

 

The newer gun weighs noticeably more than the Dunn gun and feels substantially less lively. The Church gun carries a buttstock mount shell carrier for 5 rounds of 20 gauge, which was crafted by Bill Beumer of Baldknobber Holsters. He may be reached @ 417-844-2174.         

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24 of identical layout to Church's, this shows separated barrels, trigger guard barrel release, and barrel

 spacer near muzzle. Illustration is .22LR/.410.

Handling properties

Both guns offer adequate to good accuracy. Down sides include marginal trigger pulls and iron sights, and lackadaisical extractors. Weight (at least for non-folding butts) is sufficient to keep recoil of normal 20 gauge field loads quite tolerable. The lighter ’70s era gun gets more bumptuous with Fiocchi 1 1/8 ounce 3 magnums, but it’s tolerable in small doses.

Operation, takedown, and reassembly:

The Savage 24 is a typical break-open shotgun. To load and fire, push the opening lever. 

The opening lever may be of one of 4 types. (1) The single directional tang mounted push lever, as issued with the John Dunn piece; (2) The bi-directional tang lever used on the DT model described later; (3) The front of trigger guard button type release used on the A K Church gun; (4) The side-of-receiver mounted lever used on some '60s to early '70s economy models. 

After pushing the opening lever, the barrel will swing open to expose the over/under chambers. In the 24 the sequence will always be rifle on top, shotgun on bottom. Load barrels with appropriate ammo, and recall the uncommon 24C "Camper's Companion" model has a 2 3/4", not 3" chamber. 

Close the barrels. Select the rifle or shotgun barrel using either the hammer mounted selector or the receiver mounted sliding button on older models. The rifle barrel will be the rearward detent on the hammer-mounted model, or on the upper detent on the seldom still-functional receiver mounted. Cock the hammer, point it at the intended target, and pull the trigger. It should go boom. 

Push the opening lever again, and barrel weight should open them. Empties will be pushed back slightly by extractors for manual removal. This goes better if your fingers aren't numb from cold, or encased in gloves to prevent them from being numb with cold. 

To disassemble the  hopefully unloaded gun pull down on the tip of the forend. NOTHING HERE SHOULD REQUIRE FORCE. If it does, something's wrong, and force will make it worse. Newest generation guns will require removal of a screw first, but older guns will not. Remove forend. While controlling barrels, push barrel release and tip the barrel down. Once open, the barrels can be pushed back slightly from the hinge pin, and lifted away from the receiver. Control the barrels so they are not dropped. Basic disassembly is now complete. 

To reassemble RECALL AGAIN THAT FORCE SHOULDN'T BE NEEDED. Really, for a fact. Replace the barrel (under control) against the receiver hinge pin in the slightly open position. Gently rotate the barrel closed. 

On some older guns (Dunn's and the DT gun to be described later) some careful movement of the barrels off the hinge pin is needed to allow a barrel lug mounted extractor trip to clear a cut on the inside left receiver wall. The Church gun lacks these parts.

Gently position the forend with the iron against the receiver face, and carefully position the spring against the smaller and more forward lug on the bottom of the barrel. The spring and snap lug aren't applicable the the screw retained model. Snap the forend in place. It is reassembled.

Useful online owner's manual for the current production can be found here.

Off the Horizon, under the Radar

Doctor T's rare Deluxe savage

Click to enlarge the Doc's deluxe Savage.

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We have been contacted by a local friend in regards to his project Savage 24. Doc Tom (DT) is a real MD in a Missouri general practice, and is really named Tom. His projected alterations to his pre-1968 (ergo unserialed) 24 Deluxe seem to be the most well thought out plan for improvements yet. His is in .22WRM over 20 gauge.

The original Deluxe models were stocked in a fairly good grade of black walnut, with a slight Monte Carlo comb, a beavertail forend, and fairly crude checkering on both ends. The receivers were finished in white plating, the triggers gold. In the pre 1968 guns, the barrels were monolithic, i.e. silver solder connected full length. This results in exceptional barrel stiffness, and these guns often shoot the rifle tube very well.

24ad3.jpg (53107 bytes)The one piece barrel makes shortening much easier than later guns. Saw once, crown twice, and re-hang the front sight.  His gun is to be cut to a Federally satisfying 18.5", and recrowned. This should reduce o.a.l. to 35.5 inches, greatly handier both for vehicular transport and confined area storage. The smoothbore half is to be threaded for insert chokes.

The good Doctor has acquired considerable skills with a scalpel, and is inletting in a buttstock cartridge trap, pictured below. He is also removing all checkering, and thinning the forend somewhat. He has also prescribed a proper 1 inch recoil pad, much appreciated with buckshot, slugs, or 3 inch anything.

 

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Click for a photo of the Doc's Deluxe Savage.

Click the photo to examine Midway U.S.A.'s online catalog description for this item.

Metal is to be refinished in rust resistant molybdenum disulphide, the color yet to be chosen.

Examination of the DT piece reveals a still tight gun, slightly lighter weight leading to good handling, and the rare good factory trigger pull. If he ever lets this one go, I want it. 

 

CONCLUSION

Savage was proud to help the war effort

Savage was proud of helping the war effort.

Dunn and I were followed leaving town today by a gentleman I knew slightly as a customer some 10 years back. A retired Air Force Colonel, he left the USAAF at the end of WWII with a Tenite Stevens .22-.410. When I last spoke to him in 1990, the Stevens soldiered on in his motorhome, reliable as ever after a then 45 year service life. When we saw the Colonel, he was in a newer motorhome. I suspect the Stevens rides somewhere aboard the V10 powered yacht.

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Reliability and utility are the hallmarks of a simple combination gun, as the Colonel knows. Dunn and I find the 24s very useful for transitional season small game hunting, and when we own our rural acreages, we expect the guns to be hanging pegged above the door as our "you never know what" rigs.

Personal requests from A K Church

(1) In the early ’70s, Savage introduced the shortened, survival oriented 24-C “Camper’s Companion”. The advertising campaign featured illustrations of a remote A frame cabin. Church would like to purchase a good condition copy of this ad. Contact me below via Email.

(2) The Dunn 24 came with a double punch buttstock set, a fixed wood, and an aluminum folder. Author Church has since been sold another of the mysterious 24 folding butts. He is aware of a 3rd in Alaska. We reproduce a series of photos. Anyone know anything about the history of these? Especially anything they can document?

Version one: They are a ’50s era USAF device to reduce length for onboard aircraft storage. They were allegedly sold as surplus out through New Jersey based Sarco. Fit seems sub-par for an issue item, but is good enough that it seems clear the buttstock was made for a Savage or Stevens gun on this basic receiver.

this is the other gun a B36 crew would have to forage with

(Click on "Revolvers", then on "Aircrewman")

Version two: They were manufactured for a late ’80s “whippet” gun based on the 20 gauge Savage 94, called the “Kimmel Kamper”. One of the then popular “26 1/2 inch” guns manufactured to meet but not exceed NFA 1934 length rules. I have never seen a buttstocked Kimmel, only a pistol gripped variant, but they may be out there.

The Kimmel Kamper Whippet Gun

another variation, possibly on an import receiver (click to enlarge)

Yet another mysterioso Kimmel/Stevens 94 variety. Images sent to me, origin unknown, copyright unknown. I know copyright is assuredly not mine. No idea why it says not to fire from shoulder, either. Hmmmm........

Hit Counter visitors since website crashed AUG 2003

Angus McDunn, Boon Companion and Terrier Extra-ordinaireClick the pooch to talk to Dunn about Savages or rowdy Terriers. 

 

This is expensive stuff... Click the shells to talk to Church about the painful cost of .22 magnum ammo.

 

 

New: welcome to the Savage 24 Discussion board!

Email

AK likes to attach useful or interesting letters from readers to his articles. Please state in your letter if he may use your correspondence. He can do this with or without your name or address, according to your wishes. Email him here. This article has generated a little correspondence and with the permission of the senders we have reproduced them here. Emails are in italics, our replies in bold face.

NOTE: Authors Church and Dunn regret that they are unqualified to do appraisal, and cannot establish a value on your gun. 

Sir,
I have a Stevens .22-.410 with a Tennite stock almost exactly as your article talked about.  However, mine is broken.  The barrel selector has broken off.  Do you know where I can purchase another?  Thank You.

Joseph R. DeBoer

Gun Parts Corporation describes one fix in the letter below, but Mr. D- still would like to talk to anyone with the original parts for sale. Readers?

You can use the hammer with the built in selector, the rifle firing pin and screw will also have to be changed.  The item numbers are; 114600K, 115640B and 114550D.  The link below will connect you to our on-line parts list, prices can be found there.  http://www.e-gunparts.com/products.asp?chrMasterModel=089Zz24

 Thank You,
 Dave
 WebServices @ Gunparts

Dear AK Church:

I sent John Dunn a similar letter. Looking to replace the sights on my
Model 24J DL (22mag/20ga).  Any suggestions?  What does the J indicate.
Any suggestions for scoping my gun, I have a red dot and a Burris 1-4X
LER or do you suggest something different?

Stephen Laufer

"J" seems to be just a series number. Series numbers on these seem to be a little mysterious, as some may have repeated. My gun is marked as an "S", which was also the 1960s side release econo-model. Apparently letters were in short supply.

Sights are the perpetual deal with these guns. What will give good rifle accuracy while not interfering too much with shotgun speed?

Well, I'm still looking into this matter myself. First, I'm pretty much settled that if I can find one of the long extinct Lyman or Redfield receiver aperture sights for these babies, I will get it. They show up on
Auction Arms, eBay, etc. once in a while. This will, however be the backup.

Primary is likely going to either be a low power scope or a dot sight. I just got done with the kind loan of an older Tasco dot sight. The dot sight has some real advantages. Huge field of view. Pretty useable with the shotgun. Very, very visible. Can be mounted forward on the barrel, and low. Downside is expense and and need of the 2032 battery which you will hopefully have as a spare. My .22 mag barrel lost a little 100-yard accuracy, but little enough--I think around a half inch plus. I suspect that is the function of that dot being BIG and covering part of the target.

Another possible approach is a really low powered scope. I've currently got a 2.5 on mine. Pretty useable with the shotgun though not as fast as the dot, with no appreciable loss of 100 yard accuracy. No batteries. Price is good. On my magnum, I bought a clearanced- out centerfire scope, and parallax is close enough to not worry about. Down sides: Bulk. Weight added to an already hefty gun. Need of high rings to clear the barrel selector, and I HATE high rings. May or may not shoot loose (mounting rings) when the shotgun barrel is fired. I'm playing with LocTite to try and head that off.

A third arrangement, advocated by the 1970s survival guru Mel Tappan was the British style V notched or Express rear sight. I've never done well with them, but that's a personal thing, like. Haven't tried 'em on combo guns. Certainly the cheapest of the ideas.

So I really don't have a simple answer for you, Mr. Laufer. I'm still exploring my options myself. So far the dot sight seems the better arrangement. Mr. Dunn may have his own views.

A. K. Church

Doc Tom discusses the status of his 24 project as of November 2001, and his thoughts behind it:

Tuesday, November 13, 2001 8:48 PM

While growing up in NW Arkansas I had a Savage 24 in .22lr/.410. It was a great gun but some how was traded away.. Over the past several years I have been looking for a all purpose weapon for wondering the hills again.

I wanted something more than a .22lr; and I have a Remington Model 7 in .260 with a Ching Sling and a Leupold 1-4x scope (my version of the scout rifle). Unfortunately, it doesn't work well bird hunting or for squirrels (mainly red ones which I use the tails to tie flies). Reading AK's stuff on the 24 got me to thinking again. A combination rifle/shotgun would be ideal. Well, drillings are out of the question so the Savage 24 it was.

The next question was what combination to choose. After reading the article on Beartooth Bullets I decided a rimfire over 20 gauge. Several years ago I bought a Marlin bolt action in .22WMR. After using it in Montana and reading Paco's articles on the .22WMR I was convinced the .22WMR/20 gauge was the right combination. Everything from squirrels to birds and deer could be seen and engaged on a stroll.

After corresponding with AK I thought an older model with monolithic barrels would be best for my plans. This lead to searching several pawn shops and coming up with the 24J-DL I now have. It is a pre-'68 and as such has no serial number. AK described it very well in the article and no further details of it are needed for now.

The Beartooth article and AK's conversations as well as my experience with short barrels made me think of cutting the J from the factory 24" back to a still legal 18". The gun was in such good shape I initially hesitated. At the range the .22WMR shot good groups 1-1.5" at 50 yards with a Weaver 2.5x on a set of high rings. I know this isn't match stuff but as yet there was no trial to find the best ammo. Then I went out and shot the shotgun barrel with buckshot and slugs. It was abysmal. Only 4 of 20 pellets of #4 buck on a 14"X14" at 20 yards. I then shot Brenneke slugs and they grouped, if that is the right word, about 12 inches at 20 yards. The decision was made; cut the barrels.

I want a all purpose gun that can take lots of bad situations such as foul weather. After researching the various finishes such as bluing, parkerizing etc I decided on a moly finish. I could have cut the barrels and sprayed on the moly (available from Brownell's). Fortunately I have great friend that I grew up with who is a pistolsmith, Bill Wilson. He currently runs Wilson Combat and Scattergun Technology. He kindly agreed to cut the barrels, put on sights and sling swivels and tap the barrel for Rem chokes. As a final touch it will be finished in gray Armor Tuff. I will update you when this stage is complete and discuss the next step of optics; then the last step of reworking the buttstock and forearm. Finally there is the issue of spare ammo.

Until then.

Check Six

"Doc Tom"

Sir:

I read your articles on the Savage 24.  I have owned and still own several of these.  My first one was in .22 Magnum and I found the cost of ammo high and the utility limited.  But they can be "converted" to use .22 LR quite safely.

Take a fired .22 WMR case and with a fine file, remove the metal at the head, until it will still enter the chamber but will admit a .22 LR case into the interior.  be sure to make a small cut for the extractor prong.  Insert the headless case into the chamber, properly oriented, and fire a couple of rounds of .22 LR in it.  The cases will not split and though they may bulge a bit on the side where the extractor sits, they will come out just fine.  The brass sleeve can be removed later if you're careful. This is a good way to "convert" a 24 to use less expensive ammo, as the .22 Magnum variants are far more common than the .22 LR in used guns.

Your remarks on the accuracy of the 24's are right on the mark.  My little 24-S (written up in the American Rifleman two months back, BTW) will shoot 1/2 MOA all day long with anything I care to feed it.  The models with the full-length soldered barrels are usually more accurate than the later types with barrel bands front and rear.

Thanks,

TC

Added 10 January 2003:

Good Day,

I am a retired U.S. Army Aviator.

I grew up with the Stevens/Savage .22LR/410 Ga. over and under Rifle, and Hi-Standard Semi-Auto .22LR Pistol in Kansas that my father 'liberated' from Air Force survival kits during Korea while we were stationed at Ladd AFB in Fairbanks, Alaska.

As a young boy, I played 'Army' with them, and in teen years hunted the river banks of the Kaw River west of Kansas City, Kansas. They were both great weapons and deadly in small game hunting. 
I lost them many years ago upon return from Pt. Barrow, Alaska to Army Basic Training at Ft. Ord, CA (1967) when my luggage was stolen.

Dad was a C-47A Crew Chief in Burma during WWII. His 'survival' weapon in Burma was a Thompson .45 Cal SMG. He and OSS LtC. Frank? Peers (later Lieutenant General Peers of the Peers Mai Lai Commission) once tried to shoot an attacking Japanese fighter with Dads Thompson and Peers' .45 Cal
Pistol from the rear door of the C-47, "Jolly Roger". Eventually they gave up and the airplane dived into some local clouds.

I carried a .38 Cal S&W Pistol in a civilian leather shoulder holster, and an American Can Co. .45 Cal "Grease Gun" straped to my chest in the Republic of Vietnam in 1968-1969 while flying UH-1 and OH-6A Helicopters. I taped two magazines opposite each other to provide quick loading and carried extra magazines in my nomex flight suit leg pockets as well as extra boxes of .45 Cal ammunition (not on my person). We were only issued six rounds for the .38 Pistol and three of them were snake shot, so it was mostly useless. I had to turn in empty shell casings to get new rounds.

I also wore a .45 cal pistol and turned the pistol belt so the holster sat between my legs during missions. It was only used as protection against incoming rounds and it was useless for anything else.

I no longer shoot, as I have severe high frequency hearing loss from long years flying helicopters. My doctor prohibits it...instead I bow hunt.

I found your name and address while doing a web search on the above weapons.

My web site is http://www.dconsultants.com and I live on Silver Lake in West Bend, Wisconsin USA.

No reply is necessary. You may copy or re-print as you desire.

Regards,
Michael McCormick
Major, AD, AUS (Retired)
West Bend, Wisconsin

Added 16 January 2003:

Dear AK Church,

My father died about 6 years ago, and gave me his cherished shotguns and rifles before passing on.  I had hunted with him since I was 6 or 7 years old; he used to call me his 'rabbit dog' (I'm 41 now, no longer a rabbit dog).  I never really knew anything about his Savage 24J-DL Deluxe, mostly because while growing up, he simply called it his "20 gauge/.22 over-under".  Your website has provided some interesting information regarding this gun.

His was a Deluxe, 20 gauge chambered for 3" loads for the shotgun, .22 WMR for the rifle, kept in excellent condition through the years.  It remains in its original soft bag from Sears, and I believe he told me he bought it either from Sears or from a military commissary in the late 1950's.  The engraving on the sides are the same as "Brent's" gun shown in your photo page; a leaping fox on the left and a flying grouse on the right.  No serial number is shown, but I absolutely remember it from at least 1967.

With that, a couple of questions:

1.  Was the Deluxe made as far back as the late 1950s?
2.  Did Sears sell this model?
3.  Is there any chance I could get a color copy of the advertisement for the Savage 24 Deluxe you show on your website?

If you're interested, I could take some photos and e-mail them to you. The gun is in excellent condition; I fired it last July at about 30 yards, still with the original iron sights, and had a 1/2" grouping in the bullseye. 

Geoff. (email address withheld by request)

Added 24 May 2003:

I just bought a Savage Model 24 22/410 over/under. It looks like and older gun but is in good shape. It has a one piece (interconnected) barrel, top level opening, selector switch on right side of receiver. The stock is pistol gripped walnut with a scalloped fitting for the receiver. There is no serial number. It simply says Model 24 22/410 - Chambered for 3" 410 (22 LR). 

For future reference and parts, I'm wondering about how old the gun is. There seems to be some conflict with available parts. One company offers stocks in the pistol gripped variety but they only flushed fit and also
mention replacing the tennite stock. I don't thing there was ever a tenite stock on my fun and mine is scalloped fit. The other stock they offer is straight but scalloped fitting. Again, my is pistol gripped with scalloped fit. I also want to reblue the case (receiver) but don't understand why it is a different looking color. Is rebluing safe?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Thanks,
Mike
Arlington, TX (email withheld by request)

Author Church replies:

Congrats. The designation Model 24 didn't kick in until around 1955. Tenite was used around '39 to '50. But this style gun was made up 'til around maybe '64. So lots of them are in walnut of hardwood. Gun Parts is not who I'd go with on wood, I'd go with Boyd. GPC has messed stock orders up twice I know of, both on 24s. Your receiver should be iron, so it will require its own refinishing procedure. I'd contact Craftguard in Iowa. My gunsmith and webhost textusmagister@bigfoot.com deals with Craftguard, and they had last I was aware a bluing procedure they used was created for the post '64 generation of Winchester '94s.

 
 

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